[ Fontaine is short-handed. Come quickly. ]
[ I'm busy. Aren't the two of you enough? ]
[ No, we're not. Besides discovering that Melusine flesh makes excellent alchemical reagents, we've also found that their bodies contain immense energy, yet they possess no combat abilities whatsoever. ]
[ A mobile energy reservoir? Wait two days, I'll be there right away.]
[ Come within one day, or we'll find someone else. ]
[ One day it is. Don't tell anyone else—the fewer people who know about this, the better. ]
[ Rest assured, we understand perfectly... ]
At noon the following day, Dottore No. 3 descended from an airship at the agreed-upon location. The moment his feet touched the ground, he and the Fatui soldiers around him were swiftly suppressed, gagged, and bound by Neuvillette. The remaining unconscious Fatui soldiers were taken away by the Court of Justice's Special Task Force, summoned by Neuvillette.
While Dottore No. 3 was still reeling from the shock, he met the other two Dottore clones inside the New Fortress of Meropide. He had a damn it! bubbling up in his throat, desperate to be uttered.
However, after reviewing the documents on the table, a mysterious smile instantly spread across his face—the same smile that had appeared on Dottore No. 2's face earlier.
The three Dottore clones, each from a different age, exchanged knowing glances. The sight nearly drove Neuvillette to impulsively eliminate them all as he had with No. 6. Fortunately, he managed to restrain himself.
Two more days passed.
[ Fontaine is short-handed. Come help us with this research immediately. ]
[ What's going on? What kind of research is so complex that the three of you can't handle it? ]
[ First, we discovered the value of Melusine flesh as a harmonizing material. Then, we found their bodies contain immense energy. Most recently, we discovered their flesh can convert seawater into Primordial Sea Water in specific proportions. ]
[ Are you serious? Wait for me—I'll be there right away. ]
[ Oh, and remember to keep this confidential. ]
[ Don't worry. The fewer people who know, the better—I understand that. ]
[ To be honest, we wouldn't have told you if the research weren't so challenging. ]
[ Drop whatever you're working on and come here. Researching Melusines is far more valuable than anything you're working on now. ]
[ No problem. I'll be there right away. ]
In Sumeru, Dottore was performing "open-lid" treatment on a Fatui soldier when a sudden wave of unease surged through him. His hand twitched, and the soldier promptly expired.
Dottore frowned, not because another life had been taken by his hand, but because the soldier's death might bring trouble from Arlecchino.
His time was invaluable, dedicated solely to research, and he loathed complications.
Moreover, he couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that something was slipping beyond his control.
After ordering the scene cleaned up, Dottore pondered briefly before contacting Dottore No. 1, the clone initially dispatched to Fontaine.
[ How's the situation in Fontaine? ]
A response came swiftly.
[ The mysterious faction has been quiet lately. I'm studying the Melusine while waiting for their next move. ]
[ Neuvillette hasn't noticed anything, has he? ]
[ "That unknown faction seems to have shifted the blame onto me. You must be especially cautious around Neuvillette," ] Dottore warned.
[ "No trace of them yet. After all, the laboratory was constructed in a sufficiently secluded location," ] the reply came.
[ "As for the unknown faction, I'll keep a close eye on their movements. I'll notify you the moment they make a move." ]
Upon receiving the reply, Dottore immediately cut in.
[ "No need. I trust you can handle this. No further reports are necessary for now." ]
[ "Understood." ]
With that, Dottore severed the connection.
He had hoped to find some peace of mind, but the unease only intensified.
After pondering for another moment, Dottore contacted Dottore No. 2.
[ "Haven't you two finished your work in Fontaine yet?" ]
[ "Almost done. We're close to wrapping things up." ]
[ "Any trouble brewing in Fontaine?" ]
[ "None. It's been remarkably quiet lately." ]
[ "Alright, then. Be extra careful around Neuvillette. He's beyond your current capabilities." ]
After hanging up, Dottore felt slightly relieved and shook his head.
[ "It seems I was overthinking things." ]
Dottore then moved on to the second subject, repeating the same process of opening the container and administering treatment.
Inside the New Fortress of Meropide, Dottore No. 1 chuckled disdainfully.
"He's contacted you too, hasn't he?"
"Yes, it seems the Prime has grown suspicious of you," Dottore No. 2 replied.
Hearing Dottore No. 2's words, Dottore No. 1 shook his head.
"I haven't done anything to warrant his suspicion. He's likely just grown wary after we've been together for so long."
At that moment, Dottore No. 3 interjected, "We need to accelerate our plans. We can't keep our presence in Fontaine a secret for much longer."
"No need to remind us," Dottore No. 4 said curtly, stepping forward. "After all, our thought processes are nearly identical."
"Enough bickering," Dottore No. 5 snapped. "Hurry and summon the others. If we don't find the person who leaked the information soon, I fear Monsieur Neuvillette will come down on all of us."
"Monsieur Neuvillette won't keep playing these games with us indefinitely."
"In that case, let's bring the remaining members to Fontaine in one swift move."
Dottore No. 6 spoke up.
"Though the risks are high, we must do it to save time."
"Otherwise, when the Prime senses something, none of us will escape."
"While Neuvillette's power can shield our connection with the Prime, if the Prime wants us gone, a mere thought would suffice. This shield would be useless."
"Though I agree with your reasoning, there's one we can't summon."
"The 'me' in Snezhnaya. If he leaves, Snezhnaya will surely inquire about the situation with the Prime."
Dottore No. 7 stepped forward to correct him.
"Moreover, his appearance is quite aged, far from the intelligence reports. That person probably isn't him."
"Since he's an outsider, there's no need to notify him."
Dottore No. 8 smiled at the other Dottores.
"I imagine no one here objects."
"Of course not. Let's proceed as planned."
At this moment, Dottore No. 1 spoke up again.
"Notify the remaining 'me' as quickly as possible. Then give Monsieur Neuvillette an explanation, and we can withdraw promptly."
"I'll handle that. You focus on the other preparations."
Since they were all segments of the same mind, the Dottores easily reached a consensus.
Amidst their casual banter, one unlucky Dottore was casually abandoned...
-
A few more days passed, and several more Dottores secretly entered Fontaine.
When they initially met at the agreed-upon location, they were all somewhat bewildered.
Didn't we agree to keep this secret? Why did they tell others—and even summon you here too?
Though inwardly furious at this breach of agreement, the two Dottores smiled politely at each other and stood their ground.
Just as they were about to initiate a telepathic exchange to demand an explanation, a third Dottore arrived, followed by a fourth.
Now they were completely dumbfounded.
"What are you all doing here?"
"Didn't they say they needed more researchers?"
"You're all here for research too?"
"Aren't you?"
When the fifth and sixth Dottores appeared, the realization that something was terribly wrong finally dawned on them. But when they tried to initiate a telepathic exchange to demand an explanation from Dottore No. 1, the connection was abruptly severed. Simultaneously, an overwhelmingly terrifying aura erupted nearby.
Almost instantly, they recognized the source of this oppressive aura. In Fontaine, there could only be one person responsible.
But just as they identified their assailant, they were instantly crushed to the ground by an overwhelming force, their faces buried in the earth.
While the Dottore clones varied in strength, this power lacked the precision to differentiate between them. The weaker clones immediately lost consciousness.
The Fatui soldiers fared much better. To prevent them from being crushed outright, the force specifically avoided them.
Ultimately, the outcome remained unchanged. Caught off guard and utterly outmatched, the Dottore clones were subjected to a swift three-hit combo before being bundled up and transported to the New Fortress of Meropide. The Fatui soldiers were taken into custody by the Court of Justice.
Meanwhile, Wriothesley, having finished his demanding office work, stepped outside to stretch. Just then, he saw a procession of Dottore clones being escorted through the corridor. His body instantly froze.
He seemed to have gotten up too quickly, his eyes even hallucinating.
Wriothesley shook his head, averted his gaze, and returned to his office to resume work, completely uninterested in the scene before him.
It wasn't until Neuvillette brought the latest batch of captured Dottores to the prison cells that he suddenly realized the place was already full.
Unbeknownst to him, they had captured enough Dottores to fill this entire area. With so many captured this time, surely one of them must be the mastermind!
"Are all of you traitors?"
Seeing the Dottores who had been waiting in the cells for quite some time, the newly captured Dottores also struggled to maintain their composure, their gazes wavering.
It was one thing if a single spy had infiltrated their ranks, but for the majority to have defected? That was beyond the pale. They had been betrayed in the most thorough way possible.
"It's not betrayal," one of the Dottores said. "We've simply made wise choices."
"Enough. Which one of you will confess?"
"At this point, there's no point in concealing it any longer."
Hearing Dottore No. 1's words, the captured Dottores exchanged puzzled glances, unsure what he was talking about.
"Heh, even now you still refuse to admit it?"
"You must know that dragging this out is pointless. The fact that we're standing here proves we already know your plan."
Dottore No. 2 stepped forward to persuade the captured Dottore clones, but received no response.
"Still refusing to confess? It seems we'll have to resort to our final measures after all."
Dottore No. 3 shook his head. First, he showed them the documents on the table. The captured Dottore clones, who had been inwardly cursing their predicament, immediately changed their tune and firmly aligned themselves with the other Dottore clones. Some even voiced their resentment for not being informed sooner.
"In any case, I believe everyone now understands the situation. But we still need to find that person."
"Since no one is volunteering to confess, we'll proceed with memory restoration and then share our memories with each other."
The other Dottore clones had no objections to Dottore No. 4's proposal. However, they currently lacked the means to carry out this process, so Dottore No. 1 sought out Neuvillette.
"Who did this?" Neuvillette asked immediately upon meeting Dottore No. 1, assuming he had brought results.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, please be patient. We haven't identified the culprit yet," Dottore No. 1 replied.
"However, we have a method to catch him, requiring only a small assistance from you, Monsieur Neuvillette."
"We need to construct a Memory Restoration Device. I suspect that 'I' erased his own memories to avoid detection."
"If it were me, that's exactly what I would do."
Sensing Neuvillette's potential reluctance, Dottore No. 1 elaborated further.
After considering the request, Neuvillette hesitated before flatly refusing.
"No. The risks are unacceptable."
"Then what if you were present during the device's construction, Monsieur Neuvillette, to observe the entire process?"
Hearing this, Neuvillette hesitated again, then nodded.
"Agreed."
Since the other party wasn't concerned about him seeing their research, he naturally had no reservations either.
"Then, I hope we can collaborate harmoniously, Monsieur Neuvillette."
"This isn't a collaboration. It's merely a means for you to prove your innocence."
"Heh, Monsieur Neuvillette speaks the truth."
"By finding the person collaborating with that unknown force, we others can avoid some troublesome complications."
"No, even if you find the perpetrator, the rest of you still bear partial responsibility. All of you must face judgment before the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale to determine your guilt."
"Heh, are these Fontaine's rules?"
Dottore No. 1 smiled faintly before resuming his calm tone.
"If Monsieur Neuvillette insists we abide by Fontaine's rules, we have no objection. However, this matter cannot be concealed. Monsieur Neuvillette must carefully consider the diplomatic pressure from Snezhnaya."
Neuvillette was well aware of Dottore No. 1's concerns. However, this was a matter of principle for him. Even knowing Snezhnaya might exploit the situation, he refused to change his mind.
Moreover, capturing the true culprit would give Fontaine the moral high ground, easing their diplomatic challenges.
"I have considered this matter thoroughly," Neuvillette declared firmly. "This is your only chance to redeem yourselves."
Sensing Neuvillette's unwavering resolve, Dottore No. 1 nodded silently, saying no more.